A Different Journey
by blackbelt256
Summary: On the night before his Pokemon journey, Ash finds two injured Pokemon in the woods behind his house. How will these two Pokemon affect his journey? Ash will not have Pikachu as a starter; pairings undecided. Rated T for violence.
1. Chapter 1

**Hey guys! Sorry I haven't posted in a while, my hard drive got messed up and I had to save enough money to get it fixed! But I'm back and better than ever, and to reward y'alls patience, here's a Pokémon fic!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Pokémon, nor any affiliated works. Pokémon belongs to Nintendo and GameFreak. This work of fiction is not intended to gain any profit whatsoever.**

 **A Different Journey**

 **Chapter 1**

"Ash! Get to bed!"

Ten-year-old Ash Ketchum stumbled as his mother, Delia, broke him out of his fantasy. The Voltorb alarm clock he had been holding like a Poké Ball landed in her outstretched hand and opened, showing the clock face. "It's eleven o' clock, and you should be asleep!" she said sternly.

Ash sighed and flopped down on his bed. "But Mom, tomorrow I start my Pokémon journey! I can't sleep!" he whined. Delia's stern expression softened. "Well, if you can't sleep, you can at least get ready for tomorrow. Here, watch this," she said, picking up the TV remote and changing the channel to a documentary on Pokémon, hosted by Pallet Town's own Professor Oak.

Ash barely registered what the Professor was saying, deciding instead to think about what starter Pokémon he would choose. In the Kanto region, beginning trainers were given a choice between the three starters: Charmander, Bulbasaur, and Squirtle.

Suddenly, he heard a noise outside his window. Curious, Ash opened the window and looked out, but found nothing. He was about to close the window when he heard the noise again. 'Sounds like it's coming from out back,' Ash thought. He quickly snuck out of his room and silently ran to the back door, slowly opening it and stepping outside.

He heard the noise once more as he silently closed the door. 'It's coming from the woods,' he thought. Treading carefully, he made his way through the trees until he came to a clearing. Moving the last few branches out of the way, Ash finally found the source of the noise.

Two Pokémon he had never seen before were laying beneath a tall tree in the center of the clearing. One was blue and significantly larger than the other one, which was red. Both had thin wings, and skinny upper forelegs which connected to wider forearms with three claws at the end of each. They also lacked hind legs.

As if they could sense him, their heads shot up and the blue one slowly lifted itself into the air, taking a defensive position in front of the red one, wobbling slightly due to exhaustion. Suddenly, its red eyes glowed.

Ash suddenly found himself being squeezed tightly from all sides. He thrashed around, trying to get free, but he was stuck fast and the grip only tightened. Faced with the possibility of being crushed to death, he choked out his last hope.

"W-Wait! I want to help you!"

The pressure didn't let up, but it ceased getting tighter. Ash gasped as something invaded his mind, going all the way to the core of his being. After a few tense moments, the probe withdrew, and the pressure on Ash's body slowly lifted.

Ash fell to his knees, gasping for air. He had literally seen his life flash before his eyes; it takes a while to comprehend that kind of thing.

A soft cooing noise brought his attention to the red Pokémon, which was now floating slowly towards him with a slightly concerned expression. When it was close enough, it sniffed Ash curiously, as if it didn't know what to make of this human.

Slowly, Ash reached out a hand and gently placed it on the Pokémon's neck. To his surprise, he felt not fur, but feathers; a fine down that was thick enough to provide warmth to the Pokémon, but thin enough to maintain a sleek look and feel.

The Pokémon, thanks to his ministrations, was putty in Ash's hands. It cooed happily, pushing against Ash's hand. Suddenly it flinched, and Ash was reminded about their injuries.

"Wait here," he said to the two Pokémon, who had since settled back onto the ground. "I'll be right back with some berries and bandages."

Ash quickly ran back to his house to get some Oran Berries and some bandages. He silently thanked Arceus that he paid attention when his mother taught him some basic herbal medicine that he would need to know as a Trainer.

After grabbing the necessary materials, he quickly made his way back to the injured Pokémon. He took two flat stones and used them to crush the berries into a paste, which he then gently spread over the wounds. Both Pokémon sighed in relief as the healing properties of the berries worked their magic.

Finally, Ash took the bandages and wrapped up the more serious cuts. "There we go! Good as new!" he said. Both Pokémon sniffed the bandages curiously before floating over to Ash and nuzzling him happily, letting out gentle coos as the boy laughed and stroked their feathers.

"So this is what you were up to."

Ash flinched at the sound of his mother's voice. The Pokémon quickly floated behind him, peeking around his arms warily.

Delia Ketchum stood at the edge of the clearing in her bathrobe and slippers, arms crossed over her chest, with a serious expression on her face. Ash struggled to come up with a reply; he just needed something to stall his mother, however unlikely it may be.

Ignoring Ash's stammering, Delia closed the distance between them and knelt down so she was at eye level with the red Pokémon, who looked back at her curiously. Delia slowly reached out her hand, allowing the Pokémon to sniff it, then gently rubbed its head. The Pokémon cooed in delight and pushed against her hand, making her smile.

"Well now, you're a cute one, aren't you?" she said as she petted the Pokémon's soft feathers. Then she turned to Ash. "You might as well be truthful; I saw you sneak out with the berries and bandages," she said. Ash caved and came clean about everything while Delia continued stroking the red Pokémon.

"…and that's when you showed up," finished Ash, looking down at the ground. Delia looked at him sternly for a while, then smiled and used a finger to lift his head until he looked her in the eyes.

"Ash, I'm not upset. Normally I would be, but since you only did it to help these poor Pokémon, I'll let it slide this once," she said, wrapping her son in a hug before standing. "Come on, let's get you back to bed. We wouldn't want to be late to pick up our starting Pokémon, would we?" she asked playfully as they walked towards the edge of the clearing.

Suddenly, Delia stopped and turned back to the Pokémon, who were watching them leave with sad looks on their faces.

"Well, are you coming or not?"

This caught both Ash and the Pokémon off guard. "Mom? What are you talking about?" Ash asked, looking up at his mother in confusion. Delia smiled. "Well, it would be dangerous for two unidentified, injured Pokémon to stay out here in the open, wouldn't it?" she asked. "If they want, they can stay with us for a while."

Instantly, the Pokémon flew over and glomped Ash, sending him crashing to the ground with a yelp. Delia giggled. "I'll take that as a yes."

 **[Linebreak]**

"Ash! Time to wake up!" called Delia the next morning. A resounding crash from upstairs told her that her son was definitely awake; more than likely, he had fallen out of bed.

Not three minutes later, Ash was downstairs, backpack in hand, ready to go to Professor Oak's lab to get his starting Pokémon. "Come back home for a little bit when you get your Pokémon," said Delia. "I have something I want to give you."

"Aww, Mom! Can't you give it to me now?" whined Ash; he hated to be kept waiting for stuff. Delia silenced him with a stern look. "No. You'll see what it is after you get your Pokémon," she said firmly.

"But…"

"Is that Gary making his way to Professor Oak's lab?"

Ash took off like a wild Rapidash; his rivalry with Gary Oak knew no bounds. Delia smiled as she watched the boy run off, a large cloud of dust billowing behind him.

 **[Professor Oak's Lab, Five minutes later]**

Ash skidded to a halt just before he crashed through the doors of Professor Oak's lab. Poking his head inside, he called out to the Professor.

"Hey Professor Oak! It's me, Ash! I'm here to get my Pokémon!" he called. There was a thud and some muffled cursing, before a door opened and the Professor hopped out, holding his foot while tears of pain glistened at the corners of his eyes.

"Ash! You're early!" he exclaimed, looking at the clock. Ash rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. "Well, the early bird gets the worm! " he said. "Or in this case, the Pokémon." Oak laughed at the boy's pun and beckoned him to follow.

As they entered the laboratory area, the first thing Ash laid eyes on was the glass dome in the center of the room, under which there were three Poké Balls that held the Kanto starters. Oak opened the dome and took out the three balls, placing them on a nearby table.

"All right, Ash. Pick which one you want," he said. Ash looked intently at the three Poké Balls. After about five minutes…

"Professor," said Ash, "I don't really feel a connection to any of them. Are there any other Pokémon I can use as a starter?" Oak was surprised, but he hid it well. "Let me see what I can do," he said, and walked out of the room.

A few minutes later, he came back with two Poké Balls. "These are the only two Pokémon I have that don't have Trainers yet," he explained, handing the Poké Balls to the anxious ten-year-old. "The one on the right is a Pikachu, and the one on the left is an Eevee."

Ash stared at the Poké Balls in his hands. The one in his right hand, the one with the Pikachu, he didn't feel anything special. The Eevee on the other hand…

With a grin, Ash tossed the Eevee's Poké Ball into the air. It opened with a flash of light, with the Normal-type Evolution Pokémon materializing soon after. It looked around, confused, before it looked at Ash and cocked its head cutely. "Vee?"

Ash knelt so he was at eye level with the little Pokémon. "Hey there Eevee!" he said happily. The Evolution Pokémon just blinked at him. "Want to travel with me? I bet you're tired of this lab, aren't you?" At that, the Eevee yipped and nearly tackled Ash to the floor; she liked the Professor well enough, but she was curious about the outside world.

Ash laughed and stood, Eevee on his shoulder. "I'll take that as a yes," he said, and Eevee yipped an affirmative. Professor Oak smiled before handing him five Poké Balls and a red device that was similar in size and shape to a tall wallet. "Take these. Your Poké Balls and Pokédex," he said. Ash raised his eyebrow as Eevee cocked her head to the side. "What's a Pokédex?" he asked.

Ash knew he had made a grave mistake when he saw the gleam in the Professor's eye.

 **[Half an hour later…]**

"…and that is why the Pokédex is an invaluable tool for any and all travelling Pokémon Trainers," finished Oak. "However, your Pokédex is special, Ash." Ash, who was busy playing with Eevee, looked up. "Special?" he asked. Oak nodded. "It's a prototype I made using data from the Kanto, Johto, Hoenn, and Sinnoh regions," he explained. "Just use the scan function like so, and…" Oak pressed a few buttons on the Pokédex, which gave off a small chime.

 **"Eevee, the Evolution Pokémon. Its genetic structure is unstable, and it can evolve into seven different Pokémon depending on its surroundings. This specimen is female, and has the ability Run Away. Known moves are Tackle, Tail Whip, Growl, Sand Attack, Dig, and Shadow Ball."**

"Wow," said Ash as he took the Pokédex. "You hear that, Eevee? You're really strong!" Eevee yipped happily at her Trainer's praise, nuzzling his cheek affectionately. Ash thanked the Professor before leaving the lab and running home, eager to see what his surprise was. Oak just chuckled as he watched the boy; he could remember fondly when he had that much enthusiasm.

Ash, meanwhile, made it to his house in record time. He snickered to himself as he watched Gary swagger up to his grandfather's lab like he owned the town. Taking his shoes off at the door, he walked in to find his mother holding a cardboard box roughly the size of a shoe box.

"Is that the surprise?" Ash asked, positively vibrating with excitement. Delia smiled and nodded, handing him the box. "Congratulations, Ash!" she said happily.

Ash opened the box to find two Poké Balls. Curious, he took them out and raised an eyebrow at his mother, who made a "go ahead" motion with her hand. Ash stared at the Poké Balls for a few more seconds, then tossed them in the air.

Instantly, the two Pokémon he had helped the previous night popped out, cooing happily when they caught sight of him. Delia laughed outright at the shocked look on Ash's face. "Surprise!" she cried. "They really wanted to stay with you, so I managed to find a couple of spare Poké Balls laying around," she explained as her son ran over and hugged her tightly. Releasing her, Ash took out his new Pokédex and activated the scan feature. "All right, let's see what you are," he said. The Pokédex made a chiming noise as it activated.

 **"Latias and Latios, the Eon Dragon Pokémon. These Pokémon have considerable psychic abilities from hatching. By folding their forelegs close to their bodies, they can overtake jet planes. Trainers tell them apart based on color; Latios, which are always male, are blue while the female Latias are red. No further information available concerning these Legendary Pokémon."**

Ash and Delia's mouths dropped open. "L-Legendary Pokémon?!"

 **[Linebreak]**

After the initial shock of having two Legendary Pokémon in his possession passed, Ash found it amazingly simple to convince his mother that he was responsible enough to care for them; she had no choice but to allow this, as Latios and Latias adamantly refused to be anywhere but with Ash at all times.

Ash was currently standing at the door, hugging his teary-eyed mother with Eevee on his shoulder.

"Bye, Mom! I'll call you when I get to Viridian City!" he called as he ran down the road. Delia smiled and waved, watching her little boy start off on his own adventure. Still smiling, she turned and walked back inside.

 **[With Ash]**

Ash was happily walking along Route 1, with Eevee running circles around him, yipping excitedly, and occasionally sniffing something that caught her interest. Ash laughed when a Pidgey exploded out of some tall grass, sending Eevee rolling back to her Trainer with a startled yelp. Quickly righting herself and shaking out her fur, Eevee glared and growled at the offending bird, who cocked its head to the side and spread its wings.

"You want to battle?" Ash asked Eevee, getting a yip in response. "All right then; start off with a Tackle attack!" Ash cried. Eevee yipped and launched herself forwards, hitting the Pidgey with her shoulder, eliciting a startled squawk from the bird.

"Nice one!" praised Ash. "Now use Shadow Ball!" A small sphere of dark energy formed in front of Eevee's mouth, which she then shot at the Pidgey. The Shadow Ball hit the bird and detonated loudly and sent dirt and debris everywhere, forcing Ash and Eevee to cover their eyes. When the smoke cleared, the Pidgey was unconscious, its eyes unfocused.

Ash seized his chance. "Go, Poké Ball!" he shouted, heaving the ball at the downed bird. The ball opened and with a flash of light, Pidgey was sucked inside. The Poké Ball fell to the ground and twitched slightly, the button on the front flashing red. Ash and Eevee watched the ball with increasing anticipation; finally, after several agonizing seconds, the button turned white and the ball gave a small chime to signal a successful capture.

"Yes!" Ash cried, grabbing Eevee and hugging her. The Evolution Pokémon yipped happily and licked her Trainer's face as he picked up Pidgey's Poké Ball. Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out his Pokédex and scanned the ball.

 **"Pidgey, the Tiny Bird Pokémon. This Pokémon usually travels in large flocks, and frequently migrates to other areas. This specimen is male, and has the ability Keen Eye. Known moves are Sand Attack, Tackle, Peck, Gust, and Quick Attack."**

Ash smiled and placed Pidgey's Poké Ball on his belt, resolving to find some berries and at least partially heal him before reaching Viridian City. As they continued walking, Ash scanned the Poké Balls containing Latias and Latios to see what moves they knew.

 **"Latias, the Eon Dragon Pokémon. Known moves are Psychic, Confuse Ray, Dragon Claw, Screech, Flamethrower, Double Team, and Mist Ball. Note: Mist Ball is a move unique only to Latias; no other Pokémon is capable of using it unless the move Metronome is used."**

"That's awesome," Ash breathed, before scanning Latios' ball.

 **"Latios, the Eon Dragon Pokémon. Known moves are Psychic, Dragon Claw, Dragonbreath, Fire Blast, Agility, Double Team, and Luster Purge. Note: Luster Purge is a move unique only to Latios; no other Pokémon is capable of using it unless the move Metronome is used."**

Ash grinned. His dream of becoming a Pokémon Master just got easier.

…Or so he thought.

Suddenly, something swooped down from the sky and slammed into Eevee, sending her crashing to the ground with a pained cry. "Hey!" yelled Ash at the offending Pokémon, a Spearow. "What the heck was that for?!" His Pokédex answered his question for him.

 **"Spearow, the Tiny Bird Pokémon. Unlike the more gentle Pidgey, Spearow are much more dangerous. They are very wild and will often attack other Pokémon and humans for seemingly no reason."**

Ash grit his teeth as Eevee was sent flying by a Quick Attack from the wild Spearow. "Eevee! Use your Shadow Ball attack!" he cried. Eevee struggled to remain standing as she formed the attack and flung it at the Spearow. Unfortunately, due to her exhausted and injured state, it flew wide and missed its intended target, exploding off to the side. Spearow, sensing its advantage, flew up high and was surrounded by a white glow.

Ash paled. 'Crap, that's Aerial Ace,' he thought. Eevee was struggling to get up; she couldn't take another hit.

"Eevee, return!" Ash yelled, holding out Eevee's Poké Ball. With a flash of red light, the Evolution Pokémon was safely returned to her Poké Ball. Ash quickly flung out another ball, intent on ending this quickly. "Go, Latios!"

The blue Legendary Pokémon appeared with a mighty cry, eyes narrowed at the Spearow. "Use Luster Purge!" Ash commanded.

Latios opened his mouth and shot a large beam of purple energy from its mouth. It collided with the Spearow with an earth-shattering crash, sending up a thick cloud of dust. When it settled, the Spearow was, amazingly, still standing. However, it seemed to be on its last legs, and it knew it. Deciding to switch to plan B, Spearow faced a nearby tree and spread its wings. "SPEAROW!"

A look of utter horror crossed Ash's face as an entire flock of Spearow rose from the tree. Ash tried to turn and run, but he was knocked down by a Gust attack from the injured Spearow. The rest of the flock began to descend, pecking and clawing at every bit of exposed flesh. Ash cried out in pain, curling into a tight ball to protect his vital organs.

Suddenly, the flock of angry Spearow was scattered when an enormous explosion sent them tumbling. Fighting to stay conscious, he watched as an enraged Latios continuously attacked the flock, using Dragonbreath and Luster Purge interchangeably, as well as Dragon Claw when they got too close.

There was a burst of light from his belt, and he soon felt himself being nudged urgently by a panicked Latias. Grimacing from the pain, he slowly pulled himself onto her back, wincing the whole time; those Spearow were relentless, and he could no longer see out of his right eye. Long gashes on his arms, chest, and face oozed blood at a surprisingly rapid pace. Latias knew instinctively that if she didn't get her Trainer to a hospital quickly, he would bleed out and die.

With a cry to Latios to cease his attacks and retreat, Latias hooked her forelegs under Ash's legs to anchor him to her, then tucked her forelegs to her sides and shot off like an arrow, Latios following after a parting shot of Dragonbreath. Both Eon Dragon Pokémon raced across the sky, desperate to save their fallen Trainer.

 **[Linebreak]**

Nurse Joy loved her job. Working at the only Pokémon Center that treated humans as well as Pokémon, she was always kept busy, and that was just the way she liked it.

But still, it came as a shock when two unidentified Pokémon damn near broke the door down when they swooped in, with a trainer on the red one's back who looked like he went through a blender. With a sharp whistle, she ran to the boy's side as a pair of Chansey wheeled in a gurney and slowly transferred the boy from the Pokémon, wheeling him into the operating room while preparing an IV.

A few minutes later, Joy announced to the distraught Pokémon that Ash would pull through. So great was the relief of the Eon duo, that everyone within half a mile from the center felt as if a great weight was taken from their shoulders; in reality, Latios was unconsciously exerting his psychic powers while waiting for news about his trainer.

The Eon duo made their way to Ash's room, ignoring the curious glances of other Trainers. Upon seeing their bandaged Trainer on the bed, both Legendaries promptly laid on either side of him and fell into a blissful sleep.

 **And there it is! Hope you enjoyed!**

 **Two polls for y'all. First, Ash will be paired with someone, so vote on who it should be. Second, Ash will catch more Legendary Pokémon, but not for a few more chapters. Which one should he catch next?**

 **Pairing:**

 **Misty**

 **May**

 **Dawn**

 **Serena**

 **Cynthia**

 **Bianca (No AshXLatias. Sorry shippers.)**

 **Sabrina**

 **Anabel**

 **Next Legendary Pokémon:**

 **Legendary Birds (Articuno, Zapdos, and Moltres; any order)**

 **Legendary Beasts (Suicune, Entei, and Raikou; any order)**

 **Celebi**

 **Mew**

 **Deoxys**

 **Rayquaza**

 **Groudon**

 **Kyogre**

 **Manaphy**

 **Cresselia**

 **Darkrai**

 **Dialga**

 **Palkia**


	2. Chapter 2

**Hey y'all! Here's Chapter 2!**

 **To those who reviewed: Thank you! For the longest time, I thought Shadow Ball was a Dark-type move, so thank you to those who pointed out my mistake!**

 **I have decided to make the pairing Ash x Serena, but Ash will not be visiting the Kalos or Unova regions. Serena will be a travelling Trainer much like Ash is.**

 **I have plans to eventually send Ash gallivanting off to the Orre region, but that will not happen for a while.**

 **Also, for those who commented which Legendary Ash should catch next, stay tuned!**

 **Chapter 2**

Ash groaned as he forced open his eyes, only to squeeze them shut as the light from a nearby window burned his sensitive orbs. When his eyes had finally adjusted, he discovered that he was lying in a hospital bed. 'How did I get here?' he thought, before looking down at the two Legendary Pokémon sleeping on either side of his bed. 'Oh. Latias must have brought me here while Latios kept the Spearow busy,' he thought. He tried to move his hand to pet them, but found he couldn't.

Regaining consciousness after a Spearow attack? No problem. Regaining motor function? Another matter entirely.

Finally, he regained enough control to lightly stroke Latias' feathers. This action caused the Eon Dragon to stir slightly, then open her golden eyes. The first thing she laid eyes on was Ash smiling at her. With a happy cry, she floated next to him and nuzzled his cheek affectionately. Latios did the same on Ash's other side, with Latias' cry having woken him up.

There was a flash of light from across the room, and Ash suddenly found himself on the receiving end of an enthusiastic Eevee's tongue. Laughing, Ash scratched Eevee behind the ears, making her purr in happiness before she turned in a circle a few times. She then promptly laid on Ash's chest and refused to budge, much to Ash's annoyance and the Eon Duo's amusement.

Drawn by the noise, Nurse Joy walked through the door to Ash's room and smiled. "Ah, you're awake!" she said happily, taking Ash's vitals. "You gave us quite a scare, young man. I thought for a moment your Pokémon were going to have a heart attack." Ash had the decency to blush and look down, slightly ashamed. Latias noticed this and nuzzled his cheek, making him smile slightly.

After about an hour, Nurse Joy came back with his results. "Well, it appears you'll walk away from this with a few scratches, but nothing life threatening," she said. "Just try not to anger anymore Spearow, okay?" Ash chuckled nervously and scratched the back of his head. "Will do! Thanks for the help!" he said. "That's my job," said Nurse Joy with a smile.

Ash returned Latios and Latias to their Poké Balls and left the Pokémon Center. Upon realizing he was in Viridian City, he immediately made his way to the nearby gym.

Thanks to his impeccable sense of direction, however, he managed to get himself lost, ending up in front of the Pokémon Center no less than twelve times. His repeated failures to locate the elusive gym made him extremely grouchy.

Growling angrily, Ash whirled around, away from the Pokémon Center. Immediately, his eyes landed on a stone plaque in front of an ornate building.

 **Viridian City Pokémon Gym**

 **Leader: Giovanni**

 **A man in pursuit of power!**

Ash mentally kicked himself. The one place he wanted to find, and he goes on a wild goose chase to find it, only for it to be right where he started. He began to walk up to the building, when he noticed a sign with large letters on the doors.

 **CLOSED FOR REFURBISHMENT**

Ash groaned and sat down beneath a nearby tree, letting Eevee out of her Poké Ball to play around. The little fox Pokémon yipped happily and ran around, elated to finally have some playtime.

Ash suddenly had a thought. "Come on out, Pidgey!" he called, tossing the bird's Poké Ball into the air. Pidgey emerged with a chirp and landed in front of Ash, cocking its head to the side. Ash smiled and held out his arm. "Hey there, Pidgey! I know you and I haven't had a lot of time to really connect, but if you're willing, I'll do my best to make you the strongest Pidgeot the world's ever seen!" he said excitedly. "What do you say?"

Pidgey looked thoughtful for a moment, weighing its options. It was true that he was rather unceremoniously captured, but he had also seen how strong trained Pokémon could be. After a few minutes of debating, Pidgey made his decision and flew up to Ash's shoulder, preening his unruly black hair affectionately, making the boy laugh. Eevee, drawn by the noise, scampered over and plopped herself in Ash's lap with a happy yip before lying down and falling asleep. Ash smiled and stroked the Pokémon's back as she began to snore.

 **[Linebreak]**

Ash wasn't even aware that he had fallen asleep until he was jarred awake by Eevee's tackle. Rubbing his head where it had painfully collided with the tree he was leaning on, he was shocked to notice the sun was already halfway below the horizon. Recalling his Pokémon, he quickly jumped up. He looked up at the sky and saw a large thunderstorm headed his way. 'I really don't want to get caught in that,' he thought, quickly making his way to the Pokémon Center.

He barely made it. Just as he stepped through the door, the skies opened and it began pouring. He breathed a sigh of relief as he started to walk up to the counter to rent a room, but something made him stop and look back.

Outside in the dark, Ash could vaguely make out a silhouette in the rain. Glowing red eyes locked with his as the shadow approached the Center. Finally, it stopped about fifty feet from the door.

Now that it was closer, Ash found that the shadow was actually a large Pokémon. It had yellow fur, a purple mane, and a blue zigzag tail. Its red eyes stared right through him, but there was no sign of malice in the Pokémon's gaze, only…interest. Suddenly, there was a bright flash of lightning. Ash instinctively covered his eyes, but when he opened them, the Pokémon was gone.

'What was that?' he wondered as he made his way to the nearby videophones. Maybe Professor Oak would know. He dialed the Professor's number and waited for the old man to pick up.

Finally, the Professor's face came on the screen. "Ah, Ash! I was wondering when I'd get a call from you! Where are you, my boy?" he asked. "The Pokémon Center in Viridian City," Ash replied.

Oak gave an appreciative smile. "I'm impressed, young man. You're the first Trainer from Pallet Town to reach Viridian City," he praised, making Ash blush slightly. Then he remembered why he called the Professor in the first place.

"Hey, Professor Oak, I saw a Pokémon I've never seen before earlier. It was too dark and rainy to scan it with my Pokédex," he said. Oak looked thoughtful, then turned to his computer and opened his database, which contained information on almost every Pokémon he knew of. "Can you describe it?" he asked.

Oak typed as Ash described the Pokémon he saw. After a few minutes, there was a chime from Oak's computer.

" **Pokémon match found. Raikou, the Thunder Pokémon. Legends claim this Pokémon came to Earth riding a bolt of lightning. It can create storms using the clouds in its mane. No further information available concerning this Legendary Pokémon,"** said the computer. Oak gaped at the screen before turning to an equally surprised Ash.

"If it wasn't for the fact that you described it to a T, I would say you were just seeing things," said the professor. "You should consider yourself lucky. Many Trainers search their whole lives and never see a Legendary Pokémon."

Ash snickered internally. 'Oh, if you only knew,' he thought. But he wouldn't tell him about Latias and Latios. Not yet.

After chatting with the professor for a while, the old man had to get back to work. After he hung up, Ash decided to call his mother. He dialed the number and waited.

"Hello, this is the Ketchum residence…Ash!" said Delia as her face came on the screen. "How are you? Where are you? Are your Pokémon all right?" Ash laughed as his mother asked a million questions.

"In order: Good, the Pokémon Center in Viridian City, and yes, they're fine," he said, releasing Eevee, who immediately clambered up to his shoulder and yipped happily at the screen. Delia giggled at the Pokémon's antics. "Wow, you're already in Viridian City? That's amazing!" she said. "Have you caught any new Pokémon?"

"Only a Pidgey, but he's a tough little guy. He'll be quite the fighter when he evolves," Ash said. "I'm going to head into Viridian Forest tomorrow and see if I can catch some more Pokémon before moving on to Pewter City and challenging Brock." Delia beamed at her son. "All right, but be careful! I don't want to hear from Nurse Joy that you got stung by a Beedrill or something!" she said playfully, giggling at Ash's betrayed expression.

"Mom! Do you really have such little faith in my abilities?" he groaned dramatically, clutching his chest as though he were mortally wounded. Delia rolled her eyes and giggled at her son's antics. "I mean it, Ash. Anyway, it's getting late, and you need to be rested if you're going into the forest. I'll talk to you when you reach Pewter City," she said with a smile, which Ash returned.

"Will do, Mom. Love you!" he said. "Love you too, son," said Delia, before the screen went blank. Ash stretched and yawned as he stood up. A nice rest and a full meal tomorrow would do him a world of good.

He walked up to the counter and rented a room for the night. As he was climbing into bed, there was a bright flash of light, and Ash soon found himself in between two Eon Pokémon, with Eevee curled up on his chest and Pidgey perched on the headboard with his beak under his wing. Ash smiled and slowly drifted off to sleep.

 **[The Next Morning]**

Ash awoke early, mostly thanks to a hungry Eevee pawing at his head. He got up, showered, and got dressed before heading to the cafeteria, where he ate breakfast and fed Eevee and Pidgey.

"Well if it isn't Ashy-boy!"

Ash mentally groaned and turned to see Gary Oak standing behind him. "Hi, Gary," he said evenly. Gary smirked, before noticing Eevee and Pidgey looking at him curiously. "Are these your Pokémon?" he asked with a raised eyebrow. "They don't look like much."

Instantly, the temperature dropped a few degrees. Pidgey squawked in outrage and Eevee pressed her ears flat against her head, growling angrily. Latios and Latias' Poké Balls were vibrating slightly on Ash's belt. Ash himself sat motionless, then slowly turned his head and looked at Gary over his shoulder. "What did you just say?" he said softly.

"You heard me! I called your Pokémon weak!" said Gary with a smug smile. Ash stood up and pulled Eevee's Poké Ball off his belt. "Then why don't you put your money where your mouth is, _Gare-bear_?" he said. Gary twitched at his hated nickname. "What did you call me?" he said indignantly, pulling out his own Poké Ball.

Luckily, Nurse Joy decided to step in. "Hold it! No Pokémon battles in the Center! There's a battlefield out back," she said, stepping between the two preteens, who glared at each other before stalking out back, followed by a sighing Nurse Joy.

"All right, Ashy-boy, let's go! Three on three, no substitutions!" he said, pulling out a Poké Ball. Ash grew slightly nervous. 'I hope Eevee and Pidgey can handle this. I want to keep Latios and Latias a secret for as long as possible,' he thought.

"I accept! Let's do this!" he cried. "Eevee, go!" The little fox Pokémon yipped and jumped off his shoulder.

"An Eevee, huh? Then I choose Mankey!" A round, white-furred Pokémon with strong arms appeared on the field with a loud screech.

'He's going for a type advantage, since Eevee's a Normal-type,' Ash thought. "Eevee, use Tackle!" Eevee yipped in response and charged at Mankey. Gary, however, wasn't having any of it. "Dodge, then use Karate Chop!"

Mankey nimbly flipped over Eevee and landed behind her, bringing its paw up above its head. "Eevee! Go underground!" cried Ash frantically. Without wasting a second, Eevee dug a tunnel and dove into it, barely avoiding the Karate Chop. "Now, come up and use Shadow Ball!"

The ground behind Mankey cracked and Eevee burst out, launching the ball of dark energy. It collided with a loud bang, and Mankey went flying, smashing into a tree and sliding down the trunk, knocked out.

Gary recalled Mankey and smirked. "Okay, I'll admit I underestimated you, Ashy-boy. But how about…this!" he cried as he tossed another Poké Ball.

With a burst of light, a pink pokemon with large ears and a horn on its head appeared. 'A male Nidoran,' thought Ash. 'Gonna want to avoid that horn.' Eevee looked back at him, waiting for a command. "Eevee, use Shadow Ball!"

Eevee yipped and shot the attack at Nidoran, who quickly dodged by using Dig. 'Crap,' thought Ash. "Eevee, get out of there!" he cried. Eevee wasted no time, jumping backwards just as the ground underneath her gave way, revealing Nidoran.

"Nidoran, use Poison Sting!" cried Gary. Nidoran's horn glowed purple as it charged toward Eevee, who nimbly dodged. Ash, meanwhile, was trying to come up with a strategy. "Eevee, use Sand Attack!" he cried. Eevee yipped and swept her tail along the ground, throwing dirt into Nidoran's face. The Poison Pin Pokémon grunted and pawed at its eyes, desperately trying to remove the offending substance.

"Now, Eevee! Finish it with Shadow Ball!" cried Ash victoriously. "Counter with Poison Sting!" yelled Gary in return.

Both attacks met in the middle, with the Shadow Ball pushing the Poison Sting back until the attack detonated. However, one of the needles from the Poison Sting hit Eevee, who yelped before slumping to the ground, looking sick.

"Eevee, return!" Ash quickly grabbed his second Poké Ball. "Go, Pidgey!" The bird Pokémon appeared with a flash of light and hovered above the ground.

"Fine! Go, Pikachu!" cried Gary after recalling his fainted Nidoran. With a flash of light, a chubby yellow mouse appeared on the field with a bored expression.

"Pidgey, use Sand Attack!" cried Ash. Pidgey chirped and swept a wing across the ground, tossing a wad of dirt at Pikachu, who nimbly dodged.

"All right Pikachu, counter with Thundershock!" cried Gary triumphantly. Pikachu just looked at him before curling up on the ground and falling asleep.

"What?! No! Pikachu, I said use Thundershock, not take a nap!" shouted Gary. Pikachu just let out a large yawn before settling back down.

"Well, I guess that means I win, if Pikachu refuses to battle," said Ash. Gary just grit his teeth and recalled Pikachu, before stomping away in anger. Ash just sighed. Gary would never change.

He quickly recalled Pidgey and ran back into the Pokémon Center, where Eevee was promptly healed. Thanking Nurse Joy, Ash returned to his room, packed, and set out towards Pewter City, and his first Pokémon Gym battle.

 **(Linebreak)**

Ash strolled casually through Viridian Forest, carefully watching for any wild Pokémon. So far, all he had seen were Pidgey. He was considering going deeper into the forest to find some other Pokémon when he heard a blood-curdling scream.

Whirling around, his eyes widened as he saw a girl around his age, backing against a tree in fear of the swarm of Beedrill in front of her. Thinking quickly, he threw out a Poké Ball. "Pidgey, use Gust!"

The bird Pokémon appeared in a flash of light and began flapping its wings, kicking up a whirlwind that blew all but one of the Beedrill away. The girl quickly scrambled to her feet and dove behind a tree as the Bee Pokémon dive-bombed Pidgey, who dodged easily.

"Get in close with Quick Attack, then use Peck!" cried Ash. Pidgey flew up high before diving, its beak covered in white light, which left streams behind it. The wild Beedrill didn't stand a chance against the super-effective attack and was slammed into a tree, before sliding down into an unconscious heap on the ground.

Ash then turned his attention to the girl.

"You okay?" he asked as he helped her up. The girl, who was still in shock, merely nodded as she tried to calm down.

"I-I'm fine. Thanks," she said as she slowly got her breathing under control. "I must have walked into their hive." Ash gestured toward the path he had been following. "This path leads to Pewter City. If you want, you can walk with me," he offered.

The girl smiled and nodded. "Thanks. I'm Serena," she said with a smile. Ash returned the gesture. "I'm Ash, and you've already met Pidgey," he said, gesturing to the bird Pokémon, who trilled happily.

Serena smiled and followed Ash back to the path. Along the way, they chatted about various things. Ash found that Serena actually was born in Kanto, but her family moved to the Kalos region when her father was offered a job as Professor Sycamore's assistant. She had come back to Kanto to explore and see the world. She even had her own starter Pokémon, a healthy-looking Bulbasaur.

After some time, they stopped and had lunch in a nearby clearing. Ash let Eevee and Pidgey out to relax and explore as he munched on a sandwich. He snickered when Eevee snuck up behind Pidgey and pounced, eliciting a startled squawk from the bird. Seeking revenge, Pidgey gave Eevee's head a solid whack with its wing. Eevee responded with a Sand Attack, before the two Pokémon disappeared in the cloud of dust that was kicked up from their scuffle.

Ash sighed while Serena giggled at the amusing sight.

"Alright, you two. We need to get going to Pewter City," said Ash, breaking up the scuffle. "That badge isn't gonna win itself."

"Oh, are you taking the Pokémon League challenge?" asked Serena in surprise. Ash nodded, grinning. "I'm gonna become a Pokémon Master!" he boasted.

"Well, you're gonna have to get eight badges first," said Serena. "And from what I've heard, the Pewter City Gym Leader's no pushover."

Ash deflated a little. "Really? What type of Pokémon do they use?" he asked.

Serena smirked. "Really? You're the future Pokémon Master, you should be prepared for anything," she teased.

Ash furrowed his brow. "So, you don't know then."

Serena's face became red with embarrassment. "O-Of course I know! And just for that, I'm not gonna tell you!" she snapped, turning away from Ash with her nose in the air. Ash looked down at Eevee and Pidgey and shrugged. Girls were weird.

 **And that's a wrap! Thanks to all of you who reviewed!**

 **Next Chapter: Pewter City, Training, and Ash vs. Brock!**

 **See y'all next chapter!**


End file.
